During the Last Five Years
By: Kebba AF Touray
KK Barrow; Photo Credit: Abdoulie Fatty
Kebba K Barrow, the former majority leader and member for Kombo South, told his colleagues at the National Assembly that six people were murdered in his constituency during the past five years, and nothing has yet been done to resolve those killings.
Mr. Barrow said this during the debate on the report of the Selection Committee on the nomination of deputies to various legislative Committees on Monday 25th April 2022.
“Over the last five years, six people were killed in my constituency, and noting has been done to bring perpetrators of those killings to book. The standing committee on defense of the fifth legislature has not completed their work and noting has been done on the issue since,” he reminded the Members of the Assembly. He recounted that a young man of 28 years (late Buba Jammeh) was killed in broad daylight, but that the alleged murderer (Buba Drammeh), was taken to Jeshwang security and escaped from prisons.
The current Kombo South Lawmaker Barrow following his re-election, told his colleagues that the Minister promised that they to look into the issue, but said the report is still not out. He said the standing committee on defense and security should be headed by somebody who has background knowledge of security and will not be a threat to the Gambian people.
He thus supported the recommendation for a competent person to head the committee, to be able accomplish such pending works of the defense committee, saying defense is a priority for Kombo South.
“It is not only Kombo South. So many people died over the term of the Fifth Legislature and nothing was done to resolve those killings and deaths. I also want to concur with my colleagues that we have many unfinished education businesses before the education committee, and it is about time that we are serious about the ongoing educational processes”, KK Barrow said.
He thus submitted that Alagie Mbowe and Yaya Gassama continue the pending work of the education committee, to enable the assembly complete unfinished businesses pending in the education sector in the country.
“We have a threat at the moment. Students are not sitting to their exams because of ongoing crisis in Foni. It is important that we have a committee that will address such problems, but not a committee that will aggravate the status quo and the pathetic condition of students in Foni,” he said.
He recommended for the need to make approval of people who have the institutional memory, to be able to move forward the work of the education committee and position the citizenry in the West Africa region. He said the selection committee flouted the rules of the legislature of the Parliamentary Delegations because they have come up their own decisions that are not in the best interest of the Gambian people.
“A lot of monies are going into development projects, and it is about time that we are serious. We need to have a chairperson for the monitoring committee who has the competence and background on infrastructure development knowledge because we are losing millions,” he told the legislature.
He thus recommended that the Chairpersonship of the Monitoring and Constitutional Matters be given to Yaya Sanyang who he said is a seasoned Procurement and Project Officer and Suwaibou Touray, in view of his dedication and excellent work he has been doing in the committee during the Fifth Legislature.
